Chapter 24
Fortunately, the squabbling siblings left after Katie put her into the restraints. She hated the dang things, but at least now she could talk to Christian unhindered.
They’re gone finally.
Good. You’re sure you’re okay? Christian asked.
Yeah. I’m fine. I’m not loving these restraints though.
God, I’m so sorry for what they’ve put you through. How do you feel?
Weak and I’m still very foggy headed from the drugs.
He cursed again. I’m going to kill that woman for this.
You’ll have to stand in line.
She heard him let loose a single sad laugh.
We do have a secret weapon against these crazy people, you know. Apparently, they have no idea we can mind speak to one another or they would have never talked so freely in front of me. You heard everything they said?
I did. Tiffany I’m so sorry. This is all my fault. I should have never left you at that damned restaurant.
Can the guilt trip, Christian. This is not your fault. I know what happened at the mother’s retreat and I understand now why you were afraid to take me. Neither one of us could have foreseen Katie kidnapping me. By the way, the real Katie, not Charla shot all those people. She’s a feral vampire to the core, Christian. Psychotic and homicidal. I don’t think she’d try to hurt me though. As you heard, Charla keeps her and their brother Terry in check. She needs her test subjects breathing, so I think I’m going to be safe at least for now.
He remained silent for a few moments and she could feel fear and worry pummeling his soul.
I still have so many questions, but I need to get started on this information so I can find you. That Chomps guy is a good lead, but it’s a damned shame they didn’t mention the name of the little town nearby.
I may have made an ally of sorts with Terry. Let me see if I can get him to cough up some more information. I have so many questions too. I can’t figure out how Katie rather, Charla got ahold of Nathan’s SUV.
She shot David, that’s how.
Oh God! Is he?
No, Darlin. Luckily it was just a flesh wound. He’ll be fine.
Whoa. Thank goodness. But how the heck did she know where I was that day?
Betty told her and I told Betty if you recall. David never did leave the clinic to go out to lunch. So, when you called David and he was on his way out of the building to go get you, Katie asked him for a ride. She shot him when he opened the door to get into the SUV. The whole incident was an unfortunate misstep of fate.
Hell, I’ll say.
What have they done to you, Tiffany? Why couldn’t I reach you these last three days?
Tiffany started from the beginning and conveyed to Christian everything regarding Charla’s mission to turn vampires into humans and her experimentations on the V clinic patients. He told her he already knew Teresa delivered her baby because Jesse her life mate had been telling Asa and Noah Teresa’s blow by blow experience from hell. Christian told her she was very much alive, which flooded Tiffany with relief.
God, I’m so sorry, Tiffany. I swear to you I’m going to get you out of there and our patients too. While you were mind speaking the three’s conversation I wrote down a few things which I’m going to start working on immediately. I can’t believe I fell asleep. It makes me so mad I wasn’t there for you the moment you woke up.
Stop it, Christian. You’re here now. That’s all that matters. Charla won’t hurt me. Right now, she needs me alive in order to prove her serum works. Looks like I may end up human again after all. Apparently, the serum has destroyed most of my vampire blood cells. Charla claims I have around eighty percent human red blood and I’ll be completely human in a few weeks.
Tiffany heard him snort and she sensed derision. What’s wrong?
Charla’s a fool. That serum will never work on any vampire, infant, fledglings, it doesn’t matter. You may not feel vampire right now because of the drug’s side effects, but you are and always will be a vampire. Her serum is killing off your vampire red blood cells alright, but it could never kill them all. You’re constantly regenerating them just at a slower pace than a human regenerates theirs.
I want to believe that, Christian, but didn’t it work the other way around when you turned me? She could very well have the fountain of humanity in that cursed drug.
No, she hasn’t. It’s impossible for a vampire to become human again because of the way our bodies process human blood. It’s complicated, Darlin’ and I don’t have time to get into a scientific dissertation right now.
Well that’s good news I guess. I never wanted to be a vampire, but I’ve made my peace.
Listen, Darlin’. As much as I long to stay connected to you this way, I have to break off for a while. I’m with Nathan and Dominic. We need to put our heads together and see if we can use the information you gave me to find you.
Okay. No argument there. Good luck and I love you.
I love you too. I’ll be in touch as soon as I can. Stay strong. I will find you.
I know.
Christian tuned out and a feeling of hopelessness swept over her, but it was an emotion she couldn’t afford. She needed to keep the faith and believe something one of those three had said would lead Christian and her family to this facility of horrors.
***
“I may have some leads,” Christian said as he picked up the legal pad he’d used to jot down notes while mentally connected to Tiffany.
Mia bolted from the sofa in Nathan’s office and rushed to Christian’s side, scanning his scribbles. “Is she okay? What did she say to you? Do you have any idea where she is?”
Tiffany’s sisters followed suit, both also pummeling him with similar questions.
He stepped out of the little circle they’d made around him. “She’s okay, but has no idea where she’s being held.” He went on to tell them the story she’d told him, then what he’d learned from the sibling’s conversation.
Dominic took a seat in front of Nathan’s desk and brought his holotop to life. “The best lead sounds like this alligator hunter named Chomps. I’m sure that’s a nickname, but I have a few ideas. Hang on.”
Anxiety and hope built in Christian’s gut as he watched him work, swiping the hologram repeatedly, then he would type and swipe some more. Meanwhile the entire Davenport family remained silent watching Dominic and waiting. All had gathered here a short while ago after Asa arrived with the news Tiffany was awake.
Finally, Dominic stopped what he was doing and glanced over the anxious faces in the room, his attention settling on Christian. “I found a site that has a fairly comprehensive list of alligator buyers in Louisiana. There are several dozen on this particular site. We call them all, starting with the ones closest to the New Orleans area and ask them if they deal with this Chomps person. I’m figuring Katie, or rather Charla wouldn’t be staying too far from New Orleans since she worked for the V clinic.”
Nathan seated behind his huge mahogany desk, tapped his fingers on the wood next to the printer. “Make multiple copies, Dominic and let’s get to work. A man with a name like that would be memorable. I do know a little bit about alligator hunters. They generally have a personal relationship with their preferred buyers. Alligator hunters are required to tag their kills and buyers keep certain records. With any luck, Tiffany will be home before the end of this day.”
That last comment made Christian’s spirits soar. “Let’s get this done so we can go get her.”
Dominic tapped the hologram screen a few times and the printer came to life.
While papers spit into the tray, Christian closed his eyes, tuned out the chatter in the room and slipped back into Tiffany’s mind.
We’re going to find you, Darlin’ and soon.
I have no doubt of it, Christian.
***
But she did have doubts. Oh, she knew Christian with Nathan and Dominic’s help would find her eventually, but how would they find her when they arrived and stormed this hell hole?
Tiffany was again alone with her thoughts because Christian was on the phone calling alligator buyers. She was glad for the momentary reprieve because she felt awful and didn’t want Christian to pick up on some emotion that would unveil her misery and worry him more than he already was. Of course she’d been weak and miserable feeling since the moment she woke up, but her symptoms were getting worse. Her stomach felt like she’d swallowed glass shards. Her head pounded and reeled with dizziness at the same time.
It no longer mattered they’d tied her down. She barely had the strength to move, let alone get out of the bed. Even with all the fear and chaos that followed waking up in this place, later the joy and excitement she’d felt when Christian reached out, sleep threatened to swallow her whole. She fought it because she feared she might never wake.
She knew instinctively she was experiencing a bad reaction to the serum. Some vampires had deadly reactions. Christian lost a patient. Mothers lost babies. Terry claimed the test subjects here were sickly. Charla claimed her so called turning was to the point she shouldn’t experience any pain and the weakness would subside. Well she was wrong. Just like she’d been wrong about her precious serum being the cure all for vampirism. Maybe someday a person would find a cure to help people like Katie, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of innocent people.
Footsteps coming down the hall shot up her blood pressure a few notches if her thundering heart was any indication. She waited with baited breath to see if the person passed by or came for her. Moments later the curtain slid back and Terry entered holding a plastic wrapped sandwich of some sort. She relaxed a bit because it was Terry, not Charla or Katie.
He walked over to the bed, unstrapped her right hand and pulled the wrapper off the sandwich. “Here. Eat this.” He handed it to her.
The kind offering disgusted her roiling belly, but she took a bite anyway, hoping food would stave off some of these miserable symptoms. It was turkey and cheddar with mayo and once she consumed that first bite she knew her stomach would accept it. She ate the rest of it so fast she nearly choked once.
When her mouth was clear, she asked, “Why the kindness, vampire hater?”
He snorted, but it came out more like a laugh. “Let’s just say I was bored. Plus you haven’t eaten in days and I’m sick and tired of digging graves.”
She wasn’t buying that, but she recognized his dry humor for what it was. After all, she was the queen of it. Unfortunately, there was probably some truth in that comment. “So I’m that bad, huh? What do I look like? Death warmed over I’ll bet, which makes me glad I’m fresh out of mirrors.” She’d felt like it for sure, but the sandwich had given her a slight boost of energy and settled her stomach somewhat.
He hunched a shoulder. “Right now, you look like the rest of them around here. Skin the color of a zombie’s and dark circles under your eyes. From what I’ve seen it’s normal.
She looked at her arms and cringed. “Will you shoot straight with me?”
He appeared uncomfortable with the question. Probably because he knew what she was going to ask. “Yeah, if I can. What do you want to know?”
“What percentage don’t make it?”
“Recently, since Charla changed the formula, just one out of four bit it. I doubt you have anything to worry about. You’re a fighter.”
“True, but I’m fighting a demon I don’t understand or have control over.”
He ducked his head. “I know. What you said outside earlier about the bad stuff inside of a person, well some things have been bothering me for a long time. I don’t like what’s going on here and I’m furious Charla gave Katie the serum without testing it further. So, I did something about it.”
Tiffany quirked a brow. “What did you do?”
“This goes no further.”
She harrumphed. “Like I would say anything to either Charla or Katie. No offense but you got short changed when they handed out siblings.”
He frowned but nodded. “Katie hasn’t had the serum in over a week. She’s supposed to have two doses a day in a drink at mealtimes. Everyone here drinks it after the first three days or so. I’ve been tossing the shit down the sink and giving her plain tea, soda whatever. I help out in the kitchen with meals because, well I’m sort of an amateur wanna-be chef.”
Tiffany gawked at him. She didn’t know whether to applaud his stance against Charla or disdain him for it, not until she asked her next question anyway. “What about the others? Do you toss their serum laced drinks too?”
A sly smile crept across his homely features. “Yeah, for the last week anyway. When I saw Katie getting weaker and sicker, I’d had enough. I should have done it earlier with those young girls Charla was testing, but at the time I just didn’t give a shit about anything or anyone. I’ve been angry with Charla since this whole kidnapping vampires thing started. Anger doesn’t even begin to express the way I feel about the bastard who ruined Katie’s life. You called me a vampire hater and that’s true. If I saw one laying in the street bleeding to death I’d probably just step over it and move on. But I’d rather have a sister who’s a vampire than a sick or dead one.”
His rage explained a lot of his deplorable actions. She still couldn’t wrap her mind around his part in what happened at the mothers’ retreat. “Why did you kidnap those pregnant women? You knew what Charla would do to them.”
His frown was marginally repentant, but mostly irritated. Obviously, she picked at a very sore wound.
“There was no way around that. I’ve had to do things I didn’t want to do because of Katie. Giving in to Charla is sometimes the only way to protect Katie. I’m not proud of myself for many things I did, but my only other choice would have been to leave. I’ve talked to Katie about it. She won’t go. She believes in Charla. She thinks the serum will make her the way she was before that vampire got ahold of her. It won’t. It can’t because the real damage is inside of her. I can only protect her if I’m here and only as much as she’ll let me.”
Tiffany tried to put herself in his shoes. What if the only way to save Christian or one of her family members was to commit a crime? Loathe to admit it she would. She’d do anything for those she loved. She hadn’t batted an eye when she’d killed Isabella to protect her sister. She understood the guy a lot better now and genuinely felt sorry for Terry’s rock and a hard place position.
“Will you keep the serum out of my drinks too?”
“If Charla decides to give it to you orally, you won’t have to worry about any food or drinks I bring you.”
Tiffany breathed a small sigh of relief. As bad as she felt right now, one more dose of that deadly potion might be her last.
“Well, I’d better go. I need to start lunch.”
“Can I ask you something else?”
He nodded.
“What do you think would happen if you were to just let us all go? You could put Charla in restraints like earlier, give us a vehicle and just let us all go home.”
He snorted. “I like you and I feel sorry for you, those others too, but I’m not a fan of suicide. You don’t cross Charla with something that big and live to tell about it. If I let you go I’d have to leave. And Katie comes first. I’m not leaving this place without her.”
He took hold of her right wrist then wrapped the restraint around it. She hated it, but she knew he had no choice. Charla wouldn’t let him get away with leaving her unrestrained twice. She watched his face as he fastened the straps wondering if this good will transpiring between them might gain her the answer to the ultimate question—where was she?
She decided to take the chance. “Will you satisfy my curiosity about something.”
He arced a brow. “Maybe. What?”
“Where are we? When you were talking with Charla and Katie earlier you mentioned a nearly town.”
He snorted again and gave her an arched look. “I figured you to be smarter than to ask that. No one gets in or out of this place without one of the three of us. Even if you could get out you’d never find your way there before you fell out from exhaustion. I know you’re sick. I can tell by looking at you it’s hitting you harder than it did Katie and some of the others in the beginning.”
“You’re right and I know my limits. I was just curious. I have no plans to run off. Like I could anyway.” She pulled at the band on her right wrist.
“Yo, girl. Get some rest and quit worrying. No one’s going to snuff you. Charla needs you alive. Katie wouldn’t dare cross Charla and attack you unless you provoke her, which you can’t do as long as you’re tied to this bed.”
“The restraints are unnecessary. I feel too crappy to even get out of bed.”
“You’re just going to have to deal with them. I feel for you, I do. If I took them off, Charla would just put them right back on. So why bother?”
Tiffany sighed because of her dual strike out. She watched him leave and prayed Christian and her family would come up with some sort of lead before the side effects of Charla’s serum grew worse. The potential of the serum killing her was a very real and terrifying possibility. She trusted Terry would keep it out of her food. If Charla decided to give her more of it IV, there wouldn’t be a thing she could do to stop her.
“Christian, please hurry!” she whispered, then sent up a prayer that he’d find this god forsaken hellhole while she still had breath in her body.
***
“Nathan! Christian! Come quick. I’ve found him,” Mia exclaimed, rushing toward Nathan’s desk, cell in hand.
Christian swung around noticing every eye in the room focused on Mia. Some hung up on their own phone calls. Others held their devices away from their ears and tuned in to what she was saying. Nathan had divided the list of alligator buyers so every person could call their share and ask the buyer if he or she dealt with a man named Chomps. Apparently, Mia had the winning list.
Her arm shook as she handed Nathan the phone. “Here. Talk to him. He says he knows where this Chomps lives.”
Nathan grabbed the phone and minutes later he had written down some pretty detailed directions to an area outside the town of Carlisle.
Christian smiled and closed his eyes. Tiffany. Can you hear me?
Yes. I’m here.
I’m on my way.
Really? You’re serious?
He felt hope and joy swell inside her, but he felt something off with her too. She’d told him that damned serum had made her weak and dizzy, but he sensed her condition to be far worse. Christian knew what that poisonous cocktail was capable of doing and how fast acting and deadly the affects could be—a frightening knowledge which had sprouted an ulcerous fear in the pit of his stomach.
Yes, it’s true, Darlin’. I have the location of the man who sold them the property. Chomps. If we can find him, it should be just a matter of time before we find you. Nathan and I have a small army coming your way. We’re going to get you out of there. I promise.
Thank God. I’m furious they tied me down again. I swear Christian once this is over if anyone ever tries to tie me down again, I’ll kill them. If you’re into bondage, we’re going to have to rethink this relationship.
He laughed. Humor was a good sign. You have no need to worry about that. Do you feel okay? Are you having any pain?
She didn’t immediately answer which worried him.
I’m fine. I’m weak and tired. My stomach is a little out of sorts, but I’m sure it’s just stress.
“Christian! Come on. Let’s go,” Nathan said.
We’re leaving now. I’ll talk to you soon.
Okay. Hurry.
Don’t worry. I’ll break every speed limit I can.
A short time later Christian was on the road in his RAM truck headed to Carlisle. Asa rode shotgun, three of Nathan’s security men were in the back seat. Four vehicles in total made the convoy south. Nathan, Dominic and Dimitri and two security guards rode in one of the SUV’s and two other SUV’s followed, packed full of Nathan’s men. Every vehicle was also loaded with plenty of arms and ammunition. Hopefully when Charla and her brother and sister saw they were outnumbered twenty to three they’d give up without a fight. If not, so be it. No one would stand in the way of him getting Tiffany out of that place.
Finding Chomps’ home had been easy. Dominic told him most Cajun bayou dwellers had addresses these days that any GPS device could locate. Unfortunately, they were unable to locate Chomps. No one answered the door to the little rundown cabin. They searched outbuildings and called for him, but it soon became apparent the man wasn’t home. There was no vehicle present on the property either. Given the fact it was midday and the man hunted alligators for a living, it could be hours before he returned.
Christian cursed their rotten luck and turned to Nathan who stood beside him in the middle of the man’s front yard, which obviously hadn’t been mowed once this year. Weeds nearly waist high rustled and crunched under the footsteps of the remaining eighteen men who walked about the property looking around for the alligator hunter or some clues to his whereabouts. “What the hell do we do now?”
Nathan adjusted his sunglasses and stared at the cabin. “We can’t afford to just sit here and wait on him to return. We have a couple of choices. We could go back to that blip of a town we came through and ask the locals some questions, but I doubt that would gain us anything but a mountain of suspicion.”
“True.” Out the corner of his eye he noticed Dominic walking toward them.
“I heard what you said and I think you’re right. Questioning the locals would gain us nothing but suspicion and tight lips.” He turned and faced Christian. “You mentioned Chomps sold Charla the property, correct?”
The lightbulb went on over Christian’s head. “Yes. If you’re thinking what I am, the property he sold them has to be close.”
“Exactly. Now that we have the address let me do a quick MLS search on recently sold properties in this area. It should be quicker than just driving around this swamp infested forest looking for a huge barn.”
Christian wasn’t so sure about that and he wasn’t willing to wait. “Feel free to do that, but I’m going to drive around. One thing I know about farmers of any kind, when they sell off land, it’s usually because their desperate and the property is often close to their homestead. My gut tells me Tiffany is probably within shouting distance.”
Nathan rounded up his men and with Christian’s truck in the lead they started driving down a dirt road in the opposite direction they’d arrived. After a mile or so the road turned into what would have once been called a logging trail—two narrow dirt lanes full of ruts with tall grass that swept the underbody of the vehicles. Overgrown trees limbs sliced permanent scratches into the door panels as they barreled down the trail as fast as the trucks could go on such rough terrain.
Christian knew he was on the right path when about a half mile later he spotted the sun glinting off the metal roof of a large building mostly hidden by trees. “That’s got to be it! Radio Nathan and tell him to get ready,” he told Asa.
Christian’s heart was pounding when he pulled up in front of a huge machine shed, just the size and color Tiffany had described. He knew in his heart she was inside. The confirmation was the black Jeep Cherokee sitting in front of the overhead doors. The license plate number was an exact match to the Jeep in the Walmart video footage.
He’d found her!
Christian wanted to ram the overhead door with his truck and tear apart anyone who blocked his path to his woman, but logic prevailed. This offensive attack needed to be organized.
Nathan’s men began to pile out of the SUV’s, all packing semi-automatic weapons and covered with body armor. Like ants they split apart. Half streamed single file around the building looking for other entrances, the other half positioned themselves in front of the overhead door, weapons drawn. Christian, a split second behind them, hopped out of the truck and retrieved a twelve-gauge shot gun from the bed. He handed off another to Asa then headed toward a side door right of the overhead.
“Try to keep a cool head, Chris. I know you’re chomping at the bit to get to her, but organization is paramount.”
Nathan along with Dominic and Dimitri approached him. “We’re going to do this swat team style. This side door comes down then we enter behind my men.” He nodded at the six positioned around the door. “No renegade justice if possible, Christian. I want to take them alive.”
“No arguments here. We need Charla alive in particular. She created the serum and I have to know what’s in it if I have any hope of treating Tiffany and the other women.”
Nathan nodded then gave a hand signal for his men to proceed.
Christian shucked a round into the chamber and waited as two of Nathan’s men positioned a battering ram in the middle of the door. One mighty thrust and the door caved inward, hanging awkwardly by the top hinge.
Nathan’s men rushed inside, Christian at their heels. He flipped up his sunglasses and looked about the inky darkness of a huge garage, plenty luminous for vampire eyes. Another standard door led to the belly of the building in the far-right corner. He headed toward it, behind Nathan’s six men. Asa, Dominic and Nathan took up the rear, single file behind him.
At this point, most everyone inside had surely heard the door come down. Christian needed to alert Tiffany and make her ready for whatever transpired once they emerged into the building’s interior.
We’re here. Get ready. Say nothing and stay calm. I’ll be there before you know it.
You’re here? Thank God, Christian.
Are you alone?
Yeah, I’m still alone and tied down to this damned bed. My heart is about to beat out of my chest. That’s my only tell, but no one except a vampire could hear it.
I’ll hear it soon enough and it will be music to my ears.
Be careful.
You too.
Two of Nathan’s men took the battering ram to the interior door. Once it was relieved of its hinges, Christian rushed inside behind four of Nathan’s men. He expected to be met by the very least the brother armed to defend his turf, but instead two young thin vampire girls with hideously gray skin and gaunt features stood in a long hall just out a doorway to his right. The scent of chili wafted from the room, and Christian assumed it to be a kitchen.
The two girls appeared terrified, frozen in place, eyes wide and flitting from one armed man to another.
“Hands in the air!” one of the humans ordered.
They instantly obeyed.
Christian raised the barrel of his gun toward the ceiling. These poor little things were no threat. “Are you here by choice?” he asked them.
Both shook their heads, still wearing petrified expressions.
“Take us to the four women they brought here three days ago,” he demanded.
Just then a man walked out the doorway, hands in the air. Christian saw a holstered gun on his hip. The others must have too. Every man took aim on him with their weapons.
“Get down! Face down on the floor. Hands behind your head!” two of the human men yelled.
He did their bidding without a word. Seconds later he was swarmed by three humans, stripped of his gun and handcuffed.
Christian glanced at Asa who stared at the two frightened vampire girls with pity. He felt the same emotion himself, but he needed them to lead him to Tiffany and the others.
“Where are the women?” he asked again with less rancor.
The one closest to them finally answered. “D-down this hallway, take a left and you’ll find them in the curtained cubicles.”
Christian wanted to bolt in the direction they’d indicated, but he held back, glanced at Asa then behind him at Nathan, Dominic and Dimitri. They all wore an expression similar to what was on his mind. This was just too damned easy.
“Are you Terry, Charla’s brother?” Christian asked, stepping up to the head of the prone man who craned his head to glare up at him with equal doses of hate and spite.
“How do you know my name?”
“Never mind that. Get up and lead us to the women.” Christian yanked him up and onto his feet so fast, he’d probably dislocated his shoulder. A harsh grunt of pain said he was correct, but he didn’t care. This man was part of this kidnapping and drugging ring. He deserved a bullet between the eyes, but right now he’d serve just fine as a hostage.
The young sickly girls did not deserve such treatment. “Dominic, Dimitri, could you escort these young ladies out of the building? That is if you want to leave. We’ll make sure you get home, back to your lives, families, whatever.”
Both shook their heads adamantly and the two men corralled them around the small posse in the entryway then out of the building.
Christian shoved the barrel of his gun against the man’s spine. “Lead us to them now.”
Terry, craned his head back and gave him a look of disgust. “I’ll lead you right to them, vampire, but it won’t do you any good. By now they’re all on their way out. I’m sorry about that. I really am. I liked that one with the mouth.”
“Tiffany.”
“Yeah. That’d be the one.”
“You’d better qualify that comment and quick if you want to live. Where are they being taken?”
“I couldn’t answer that, but maybe you can. Where do vampires go when they die?”